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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999/02/08 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study Session CITY OF OFFICIAL MINUTES City Council Study Session JJj,STLouIs ARK February 8, 1999 The meeting convened at 6:10 p.m. Present at the meeting were Councilmembers Jeff Jacobs, Jim Brimeyer, Chris Nelson, Sue Sanger, Ron Latz, Robert Young, and Mayor Gail Dorfman. Staff present: City Manager(Mr. Meyer); Deputy City Manager(Clint Pires);Director of Community Development (Mr. Harmening); Planning Manager(Ms. Jeremiah);Planning Associate(Ms. Peterson); Planning Coordinator(Ms. Erickson);Housing Coordinator (Ms. Brownstein);Director of Parks and Recreation(Ms. Walsh);Public Works Director (Mr. Rardin); Superintendent of Engineering(Mr. Moore) and City Clerk(Ms. Larsen). 1. Park Commons-Residential Components Staff met with council to discuss issues currently under review and consideration with regard to the residential components of the Park Commons project. Items discussed were the number of residential units, unit size mix, for sale and for rent units, live-work units and assisted housing. Greg Estermann of Avalon Bay was also present. Mr. Harmening explained that the draft Master Plan which reviewed by the City Council in January, proposed 680 residential units which is a level significantly denser than the original Park Commons Concept Plan. He pointed out that the result of this proposed increase in the number of housing units would cause a reduction in the amount of office space proposed for the development and a corresponding reduction in the number of day- time use parking spaces that could be shared with evening and weekend park uses. He also suggested that the roadway capacity may not be able to support the level of density. Mayor Dorfman was concerned that housing was replacing office and the mix of the area would be impacted as a result. Councilmember Sanger said that it was difficult to envision how changes in density would affect the appearance of the development She also wanted to know where children would be able to play in the area. Councilmember Nelson was concerned that the balance of the mix in the area would be affected by increasing the number of housing units He wanted to see higher structures rather than lots of smaller apartment buildings. Discussion occurred regarding size of housing units and the differences in market demand for rental v. "for sale" housing Councilmember Sanger pointed out that Vision St. Louis Park goals clearly stated St. Louis Park did not need more rental housing Councilmember Nelson felt owner occupied housing created a stronger sense of neighborhood. He wanted to see a significant owner presence in the area. Greg Estermann stated that the rental market in the twin cities is extremely strong and that rental works better in mixed use areas because operations issues such as parking, utilities, etc. are easier to deal with. Councilmember Sanger asked why so many urban units are owned rather than rented. Mr. Estermann responded that a lack of choices in urban areas force owners to buy. Councilmember Sanger was also concerned that rental units would cause problems caused by a transient population. Mayor Dorfman responded that the rental population in St. Louis Park is extremely stable and that those residents are very involved in community issues. Attitudes toward rental housing have changed in the past 10-12 years. Councilmember Nelson was leery of changing the number of subsidized units in the area because those figures had already been included in the Metropolitan Council grant application. Councilmember Sanger pointed out that Vision St. Louis Park had stated that St. Louis Park did not need additional subsidized units. She felt we should provide the minimum number of assisted living units as stated on the Met Council application. Councilmember Nelson concurred. 2. Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Annual Report and Work Plan Jim Martin, chair of the commission, gave a brief overview of the commission's activities during the past year. He noted that there had been some changes in membership and that the commission had been busy participating in organizing the black tie dinner, _ administering the youth activities grants, dealing with facility issues and organizing a youth football league. Councilmember Brimeyer wanted the City to concentrate efforts on design of the Hwy 7/Louisiana Ave area. He also felt is was necessary to pass a bond issue to replenish the park improvement fund. Councilmember Jacobs concurred saying the City needed to look at space needs for recreational activities. Councilmember Latz though the City should move forward on planning for a referendum and not wait for school participation. He noted that they have other issues more pressing and the timing may not be right for them. 3. Council Item: Highway 100 Project Councilmember Sanger wanted to discuss opportunities for City participation in MnDot's Hwy 100 project. She felt that forming a citizen Task Force may have advantages. Mr. Rardin said that he had spoken with MnDOT and that a project director has been assigned the task of determining what the neighborhood problems are and coming up with interim fixes until the project is complete, which will be several years in the future. Mr. Meyer said it would be in the City's best interest to work with MnDOT to let them know our concerns about bottlenecks, noise, exits, etc. Councilmember Brimeyer felt we should find out MnDOT's schedule for completing the project and work with them to determine strategies for input from the community. Councilmember Nelson cautioned against overselling our control over the project to the public. 4. Sidewalk& Trail Study Update Bob Close, Close landscaping, and Barry Warner of SRF were present update council on process and public participation, status of the plan and also presented plan details. Mr. Meyer said that he had been somewhat skeptical in the beginning and was astounded that we were able to put together a plan that makes connections with all the diverse sections of the community. Mr. Warner pointed out connections to other trails on the community's perimeter and also gave his opinions concerning opposition to the plan. Mr Meyer thought implementation would be difficult, and that neighborhood support may or may not be there. He felt funding problems were secondary to problems the City may have in gaining neighborhood support. Council discussed the need for public participation and ways in which the plan could be marketed to make acceptance more likely. Councilmember Sanger said that she is already getting questions, particularly about funding and maintenance. Council agreed to discuss the public process for unveiling the plan at a future study session meeting. 5. Community Development Block Grant(CDBG)Funds for 1999 Staff met with council to discuss funding priorities for the 1999/2000 CDBG program which runs from July 1, 1999 through December 31, 2000. Mr. Harmening stated that there had been administrative problems with the program and that the eligibility guidelines were difficult to meet. Those guidelines should be loosened to allow greater participation in the program. Councilmember Nelson asked if it was possible to reallocate funds from one area to another. Ms. Brownstein said that it was possible and had been done in the past. Ms. Brownstein suggested that the funds be used for projects other than single family home projects. She felt multifamily housing improvements, like those done at Louisiana Courts, would be appropriate. Councilmember Nelson asked if it was possible to create a special district to which the funds could be applied. Ms. Brownstein said it was possible. Ms. Brownstein reviewed the report which outlined several options for use of the funds including improvements at Louisiana courts, Multifamily Neighborhood Revitalization, supportive housing rehabilitation program, funding to TRAILS, improvements to the Lenox Community Center, targeted single family neighborhoods, and the home renewal program. Councilmember Nelson did not feel repairs at the Lenox Senior Center were a wise use of City funds and felt the School District could budget more effectively for capital projects. Councilmember Latz wanted a clearer definition of what was needed at Lenox. Councilmember Sanger was reluctant to issue funds to Louisiana Court's current owners Councilmember Latz said that Council had already decided that allocation of funds to multifamily housing improvements was a prudent use of resources Councilmember Sanger thought that any funds released should be closely monitored and deadlines for use of the money should be established After discussion Council asked staff to return with a proposal to fund some mix of Multifamily Neighborhood Revitalization, the TRAILS self-sufficiency program, and Single Family Rehabilitation for a target neighborhood. 6. Review of Policy for Consideration and Installation of Traffic Control Devices Mr. Rardin explained existing policy and recommended changes to make the process for requesting traffic studies easier for both staff and residents. Councilmember Sanger pointed out several problems residents from her ward have experienced with the current policy. Council discussed several problems related to traffic in the City and asked staff to bring a policy forward to a council meeting for approval. 7. Communications Mr. Meyer asked for clarification regarding recommendations for changes to the City's Ordinance Code. He pointed out that there were many deletions of outdated and unused text. The new code will be designed to be easier to use, understand and enforce. Councilmembers agreed that the suggested changes as presented in the written report were appropriate. 0?° • it Ci Clerk M. o, ,